The present invention is directed to a twist neck that allows a material to enter the twist neck in a first orientation and exit the twist neck in a second orientation. In particular, the twist neck may be used to change the orientation of strapping material as it enters and leaves the twist neck.
There are several operations in which a material exits a first body, such as a machine, in a first orientation and then must enter a second body in a second orientation. The second body may be another machine or another component within the same machine. If the material is very stiff, it may not be possible for the material to change orientations. If the material is overly pliable, it may get tangled while exiting the first body in the first orientation and entering the second body in the second orientation. For example, this problem presents itself in strapping machines.
Strapping machines are in widespread use for securing straps around loads. There are numerous types of strapping machines, including hand held and table top models. Table top models typically include a strapping head and drive mechanism, which may be mounted to a frame. A chute, which encircles the load, may also be mounted to the frame.
The drive mechanism ‘pulls’ or feeds strap material from a source (e.g., a dispenser) into the strapping machine. The drive mechanism urges or feeds the strap through the strapping head, into and around the chute, until the strap material returns to the strapping head. The drive mechanism also retracts the strap material to tension the strap around the load.
During the retraction or tensioning step of the strapping cycle, the strap material must be released from the chute. A typical chute includes inner and outer walls that define a path around which the strap is fed. The inner wall (the wall closest to the load), is generally movable so that, as the strap is ‘pulled’ or tightened, the inner wall moves out of the way (from between the strap and the load), and the strap thus tensions around the load. In some configurations, the inner and outer walls are formed from a plurality of wall sections.
In certain configurations, the strap material exits the dispenser in a first orientation, travels a path and then must enter the strapping head in a second orientation. As a result, the strap material oftentimes becomes tangled or doesn't run smoothly from the dispenser to the strapping head.
Accordingly, there remains a need for a device and/or method for allowing a material to leave a first body in a first orientation and enter a second body in a second orientation without undue problems. There also remains a need for a strapping machine in which a strapping material may leave, for example, a dispenser in a first orientation, and enter, for example, the strapping head in a second orientation without being tangled.